Shotshells and/or other, similar cartridges typically include a tubular body with a primer at one end, a propellant powder to be ignited by the primer, and a payload such as a series of shot pellets or a slug, in front of the propellant powder. The shotshell can be received in a chamber of a firearm, which can be actuated for igniting the propellant powder via the primer. The propellant powder can produce high pressure gas that can propel the payload from the chamber and along the barrel of the firearm. Shotshells further can include a shotshell wad between the propellant powder and the payload for containing the payload as it moves down barrel after firing. Certain conventional shotshell wads can include a shot cup for containing at least a portion of the payload, and also can include a series of petals or split sections that flare outwardly after firing to slow the shotshell wad and provide separation between the projectiles, e.g. shot pellets, and the shotshell wad. Such shotshell wads typically rely on air pressure acting on the forward end of the wad to deploy the petals or split sections. However, such air pressure can have an adverse effect on the shot pattern since the incoming air pressure and/or flow can cause radial spreading of the forward petals and disperse shot pellets in a wider-than-desired pattern too quickly. Uneven deployment of the petals (e.g., due to the uneven air pressure within the shot cup of the shotshell wad as the air passes through the unevenly dispersed shot pellets in the shot cup) can cause the shotshell wad to veer or be directed away from the intended direction of the shot. This can affect the trajectory of some or all of the shot pellets and can inconsistently spread out and increase the width of the shot pattern, subsequently resulting in inconsistent and unpredictable placement of the shot pattern from shot to shot.
Accordingly, it can be seen that a need exists for a shotshell cartridge design that addresses the foregoing and other related and unrelated problems in the art.